Raiders, 49ers await NFL schedule release Thursday night

There will be plenty of intrigue when the NFL releases its schedule for the 2017 regular season Thursday at 5 p.m. But there will be no surprises in the matchups, since we’ve known those for months.

The NFL will announce on NFL Network its game dates and times, and which of those matchups will be featured on national television.

Key questions for Raiders fans include finding out when they’ll play the world champion New England Patriots in Mexico City, and when will they play their first game in Los Angeles since 1994? Perhaps lost in the Raiders-to-Vegas saga is the Chargers’ move to L.A. this season.

Meanwhile, 49ers fans are wondering when the Cowboys will play at Levi’s Stadium, and when will San Francisco play in Washington against Kirk Cousins, who could be behind center for the 49ers in 2018?

Also, since Jerry Jones’ Cowboys will play at Levi’s and the Oakland Coliseum this season, would the NFL arrange for those games to be back-to-back? The cynic in us thinks that it’s probably up to Jones.

It’s also conceivable the New York Giants, who also will visit Oakland and Santa Clara, could get an extended Bay Area stay.